When Chris Ellis was nearing the end of his contract with the United States Marine Corps, he began working with a recruiter to line up a job as he transitioned to civilian life. Before he even left service, he had three job offers, one of them being the VFW National Home for Children. The opportunity to continue working within the veteran community ultimately led to Chris accepting the offer to come work as the Systems Administrator at the National Home. Chris officially joined the National Home team on March 16th, 2020, only four days before the Governor of Michigan ordered a statewide Stay-Home-Stay-Safe order. The same day, his contract officially ended with the Marines. He had spent the past four years working as a 0651 (Cyber Network Operator) with the 3rd Battalion 3rd Marines in Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii, a job that prepared him to be ready for anything, regularly building and maintaining networks for the United States Marine Corps. Now, he does the same thing for the National Home, whose system demands also keep him on his toes! Another factor that drew Chris to this job is how close it is to his hometown of Bryan, Ohio, located in the Northeast part of the state. Chris is very family-oriented, and being able to start his civilian career relatively close to family was important to him. His deep sense of patriotism and growing up in a veteran household led to him deciding to join the Marines. He likes the fact that he can continue serving his fellow countryman in this capacity. “It is truly an honor to go from serving my country in the United States Marine Corps, to serving my fellow veterans at the VFW National Home. “